Polaroid or Fujifilm Instax: Which Instant Camera for Me?

There’s nothing like the click and whir of an instant camera. Press the shutter button and you’ll enjoy a satisfying buzz as your film emerges from the camera. The results may not be as instantaneous as a compact camera, but instant cameras are in vogue once more thanks to their old-school ways and their vintage look.

And with the instant camera comeback, we’re seeing a host of Polaroid and Fujifilm Instax cameras hitting the market. But what’s the brand to go for these days?

Polaroid vs Fujifilm Instax

In days old, Polaroid was synonymous with instant cameras and their photographs. But that’s just not the case today. Fujifilm has emerged with its competitive range of Instax cameras. Today they are some of the best instant cameras going around.

With the competition between brands, many people ask us which is better: Polaroid or Fujifilm Instax?

This answer, unsurprisingly, is that it depends. Just as DSLR cameras may not be worthwhile if you’re only wanting to take casual holiday or family snaps, so too do your needs and interests shape which instant camera would be better for you.

Fujifilm Instax

Fujifilm has created a reputation as the go-to brand for fun-loving instant cameras for the birthday party or wedding. Many Fujifilm Instax cameras, such as the Mini 8, have smaller business-card-sized prints (62×46 mm) ideal for the wallet insert or pin board display.

Fujifilm offers a large Instax range so you can choose between the simplest models or something more complex with plenty of added features. There’s the Mini 8, as we’ve mentioned. It has a cute, bubbly design and is easy to use, making it one of the most popular instant cameras around.

If you’re after something with a bit more bite, there are more advanced models offering features such as dual printing (in the Mini 50S) or high performance flash and macro mode for the Mini 90.

Today, many photography experts recommend Fujifilm Instax as the most popular and reliable instant camera model.

Instax film

Fujifilm Instax’s instant film have hit the mark for crisper, clearer shots while maintaining the vintage look we love so much in our instant photos. The film is predictable and reliable, meaning it will keep its relatively sharp quality over time.

Polaroid

There’s a lot to love about Polaroid, especially the role it played in the good old analogue days … Without this brand, we couldn’t ‘shake it like a Polaroid picture’, that’s for sure.

But today, Polaroid has lost some of its influence, pushed aside by the innovative Instax range. Still, the brand is making a come-back with a series of high tech instant cameras and a resurging interest in its classic models.

While the Fujifilm Instax is great for fun-loving occasions, Polaroids are where instant photography gets serious. The newly-released Polaroid Snap features optional Instagram filters and a photo booth mode in which it takes six pictures in quick succession. Polaroid’s chunkier Socialmatic allows you to upload your photos onto social media.

Polaroids are best for the artsy photography. Skip the birthday party – this is an instant camera you want to use on holiday or for your next photography project.

Polaroid film

Most Polaroid cameras embrace the ZINK® Zero Ink technology, which is smudge-proof and tear-resistant. As with all instant photographs, the image quality isn’t what you’ll get with photos from a DSLR. But that’s not exactly the point with instant cameras, is it?

Thanks to The Impossible Project, it’s now actually possible to keep using your outdated 80s Polaroid model – in new, original photographs as well. The Impossible Project offers a range of stylised photograph options, including black and white. But as with the ZINK prints, they’re on the pricey side.

Browse through our range of instant cameras today online at Camera House to find the next instant camera for your engagement party or art project.